TouristicAR: A Smart Glass Augmented Reality Application for UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Malaysia.

Modern day technologies including wearable devices such as smart glasses have changed the way people interact with their surroundings. Such developments have resulted in the increased popularity of Augmented Reality (AR) applications to project context-aware information on objects or users’ immediate surroundings. In order to enhance the overall tourism experience, a number of recent works have highlighted the opportunities for using outdoor AR or navigation-based AR systems. Due to the development of context-aware AR, tourists using such technology can acquire valuable knowledge and experience. Recent context-aware AR research lack empirical studies and works that integrate dimensions which are specific to cultural heritage tourism and smart glass specific context. This work presents the mapping of requirements identified during the affinity mapping and focuses group experiments into a smart glass-based AR application called “TouristicAR” to identifying the factors of user acceptance and specific tourist requirements. This works highlights the technical requirement, design conceptualisation, smart glass User Interface (UI) design and smart glass application development using a Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology. The smart glass AR application is developed in the context of cultural heritage tourism and provides context-aware and visually appealing tourism contents to the visitors at the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Malaysia

Inclusive Communication with Augmented Reality for deaf and hard of hearing

UIDB/05021/2020 UIDP/05021/2020Deafness is an often undervalued but increasing problem amongst world’s population. Besides the difficulty in hearing sounds, it involves many cognitive and emotional issues, like learning difficulties, isolation and disempowerment. In this paper, designing artefacts for deaf people is analyzed from two different perspectives: technology and communication science. Regarding technical issues, research shows how Augmented Reality can be applied using screen interfaces or smart glasses translating sounds into visual stimuli; from the communication side, the focus is on storytelling and how it can be combined with the technology referred to engage people, enhance learning activity and create a community. By looking into these two aspects, the suggested approach is to merge them in a conceptual creative project that can be appealing and useful to the public, through the use of interactive storytelling, while also using the visual benefits of an immersive Augmented Reality experience.publishersversionpublishe

Testing and validating Extended Reality (xR) technologies in manufacturing

xR technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are increasing at shop-floors but are still in need for validation in order to make good strategic decisions regarding implementation. The areas where most industries apply AR is within remote guidance and complex tasks such as maintenance. VR is mostly used for layout planning and more and more for virtual training. This paper aims to present results from six case studies with over two hundred responders from academy and industry about usage and strategies on where and when to implement what xR technology

An Evaluation Study of Shading Devices and Their Impact on the Aesthetic Perception vs. Their Energy Efficiency

Sunlight control tools, such as shading devices, are used to improve buildings' thermal and visual conditions. One of the concerns about using shading devices is their potential to harm the visual appearance of buildings. This study aims to study the aesthetic perception of different shading devices while concurrently evaluating their energy performance. Augmented reality was used to place virtual shading devices onto a building's façade at Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST). One hundred two students from JUST evaluated eight shading devices on a seven-step semantic differential scale. Participants comprised 49 students from Architecture and Design College and 53 students from other colleges. The energy efficiency of shading devices was tested using DesignBuilder. The results revealed that certain types of shading devices were perceived as more aesthetically pleasing than others. Architecture students and non-architecture students showed significant differences in their affective  responses. Regarding shading devices, shape-morphing and horizontal-louvres devices are the most preferred by participants, while egg-crate devices are the least recommended. Regarding energy efficiency, results showed that the tested shading devices improved buildings' energy efficiency by 7% (vertical fins) to 17% (egg crate) compared to the base case and did not negatively impact their visual appearance

HMDS FOR AUGMENTED REALITY IN AECO:: FUNDAMENTAL FEATURES FOR DEVICE SELECTION

Experiências de Realidade Aumentada (RA), através de Head Mounted Displays (HMDs), para a área de Arquitetura, Engenharia, Construção e Operação (AECO), já são uma realidade, ainda que pouco explorada frente a outras áreas. Os HMDs apresentam uma opção valorosa para RA, visto que oferecem maior consistência pictórica e sensação de presença. Dada a constante atualização tecnológica, a apresentação de uma relação dos HMDs disponíveis comercialmente se tornaria rapidamente obsoleta. Por este motivo, busca-se descrever as características fundamentais que devem ser observadas para a seleção de HMDs de forma a atender demandas específicas de atividades na área de AECO. De forma a apresentar uma categorização, as especificações técnicas dos HMDs foram segmentadas segundo: portabilidade, visualização, sistemas de rastreamento e posicionamento, resistência ao intemperismo e ambientes agressivos, mecanismos de interação, hardware e software. Essas características foram fundamentadas por referências bibliográficas para, posteriormente, serem correlacionadas com atividades comumente desenvolvidas no setor. Essa pesquisa contribui para a escolha consciente e criteriosa de HMDs, favorecendo a incorporação de experiências de RA em atividades de AECO.Augmented Reality (AR) experiences through Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) for Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) are already a reality, although little explored compared to other areas. HMDs present a valuable option for AR, since they offer greater pictorial consistency and sense of presence. Given the frequent updates, any presented list of commecially available HMDs would quickly become obsolete. For this reason, we seek to describe the fundamental characteristics that must be observed for the selection of HMDs in order to meet specific demands of activities within the AECO spectrum. In order to present a categorization, the technical specifications of the HMDs were segmented according to: portability, visualization, tracking and positioning systems, resistance to weather and aggressive environments, interaction mechanisms, hardware and software. These characteristics were based on bibliographic references and then correlated with activities commonly developed in the industry. This research contributes to the conscious and careful choice of HMDs, favoring the incorporation of AR experiences in AECO activities

Software development for smart glass devices

Älyteknologioiden kehittyminen on mahdollistanut erilaiset puettavat älylaitteet. Älylasit tarjoavat laitealustan, jonka käyttöliittymä eroaa perinteisistä mobiilikäyttöliittymistä tarjoten samalla omanlaisensa käyttökokemuksen. Puettavan teknologian laitteiden ei toistaiseksi ole tarkoitus korvata perinteisiä tietokoneita tai älypuhelimia vaan täydentää käyttökokemusta tarjoamalla ajantasaista tietoa käyttäjälle. Tämän diplomityön tavoitteena on perehtyä älylasien eroihin verrattuna perinteisiin älylaitteisiin käyttämällä esimerkkialustana Google Glass -älylaseja sekä Android-ohjelmistokehystä, joka on työn kirjoitushetkellä käytetyin mobiililaitteiden ohjelmistokehys. Lisäksi työn tavoite on kartoittaa älylasien asettamia rajoitteita sekä älylasien käyttökohteita myöhemmissä ohjelmistoprojekteissa. Työn tulokset perustuvat Vincit Oy:llä toteutettuihin kolmeen ohjelmistoprojektiin, joissa on käytetty Google Glass -älylaseja osana lopputuotetta. Tutkimuksessa haastateltiin kahta sovelluskehittäjää yksittäin puolistrukturoiduissa teemahaastatteluissa. Haastattelujen tuloksia verrattiin omiin kokemuksiin sekä arvioitiin toteutettuja älylasisovelluksia Googlen suunnitteluohjeiden perusteella. Vaikka työssä saavutetut tulokset liittyvät vahvasti Google Glass -älylaseihin sekä Android-ohjelmistokehykseen, osa tuloksista voidaan tulkita kohdistuvan muihinkin puettavan teknologian laitteisiin sekä älylaseihin. Älylasien käyttöliittymä on rajoittuneempi sekä näytettävän tiedon osalta että käyttäjän syötteen vastaanottamisessa. Rajoitukset asettavat haasteita, joiden ratkaisemisen sovelluksissa vaativat huolellista suunnittelua. Älylaseilla tulisi näyttää vain käyttöhetken kannalta tärkeää tietoa selkeästi esitettynä. Laitealustan uutuuden vuoksi älylaseille löytyy vain rajallisesti sovelluskohteita ja käytäntöjä tulisikin uudelleen arvioida laitteiden kehittyessä ja sovelluskehityksen ymmärryksen parannuttua

The Big Disease with the Little Name: Retelling the Story of HIV & AIDS in an Evolving New Media Landscape

Stories shape our social reality. This research explores new ways of storytelling around the topic of HIV and AIDS by using augmented reality (AR) and electronic literature to experiment with the meaning, structure, and form that a story can take. Employing a mixed methodological approach that combines Research through Design, Transmedia Storytelling and Critical Design methodologies, this thesis unpacks the potential of digital technologies in retelling and revisioning the story of HIV and AIDS as a way to give voice to stories that are often left unheard. AR Disclosures is an interactive documentary installation that tells stories about HIV in the form of augmented reality latrinalia. Once Upon A Virus is an interactive dystopian fantasy that subverts fairy-tale motifs in order to explore themes of inequality in relation to the AIDS epidemic. These two exploratory prototypes aim to propose new ways in which storytellers might leverage evolving new media technologies and experimental storytelling techniques to tell the story of HIV and AIDS to a new audience, while contributing to a developing definition of what the practice of storytelling is and looks like today

Dervish Sound Dress; An Investigation of Wearable Technology Using Computer Music and Haptic Mechanisms for Live Performance

The realm of this thesis combines the areas of computer music, fashion design, digital art, smart clothing, biometrics, cultural traditions and performance. Dervish Sound Dress is a wearable piece of technology; a garment that is inspired by the sacred ‘turning’ experience of the Whirling Dervishes or the Mevlevi Sufi order in Turkey known as the sema. It utilizes the fundamental aspects of the sema such as music, performance and body movement through spiritual elation by creating a unique and interactive experience. Wearable technology is a burgeoning field of research. Fashion designers who are using smart textiles or integrating fashion and technology in some way require collaboration with electrical engineers and programming professionals. The garment functions as a body instrument and can be manipulated by the wearer. The cultural traditions of the Mevlevi Sufis and their metaphysical experience during the turning ritual of the sema performance is the inspiration behind the creation of a garment that emulates sounds by using body movement. Dervish Sound Dress is outfitted with sensors that trigger musical sounds when the wearer touches the bodice interface or changes gesture or movement. The wearer is alerted to the sounds through the use of haptics that are sensed on the body. The sensation is similar to when a musician plays an instrument that reverberates resulting in an immersive relationship that goes further than the auditory. The aim is to develop garments that will inspire the creation of musical sounds that can be controlled by an intuitive interface in clothing. It is a study that uses technology and performance by taking a sacred experience and creating artistic expression. Dervish Sound Dress seeks to examine how technology can be integrated into a garment as an expressive body instrument to augment contemporary sonic performance